Victoria Manalo Draves Park
SOMA, San Francisco, California
The two acre Victoria Manalo Draves Park is located in the South of Market Area, between Folsom and Harrison Streets, Columbia Square, and Sherman Avenue. The site is adjacent to Bessie Carmichael Elementary School. The park was designed to create a community park for the South of Market Area and provide outdoor learning environments for students from Bessie Carmichael. The park offers specific areas and landscaping designed to educate children about natural systems and the environment.
Community involvement expressed the desire to make the park a green oasis and provide community gardening opportunities. The major elements of the park design include: a major green oval space; a garden walk; a children’s and toddler’s play area; community garden area, informal play fields, softball field, picnic area, and basketball court. Fencing surrounds the park to secure the park at night. Public art was incorporated within the design of the entry gates and fencing.
ABLA in collaboration with MIG Inc., Moore Iacofano Goltsman, were the landscape architects for the park. The San Francisco Department of Public Works managed the project and community outreach. Comments from the neighborhood were the basis for the conceptual design for the park. Scope of services included site work, planting and hardscape design and detailing, schematic design through construction documentation. The Department of Public Works was responsible for construction administration
